maitreem bhajata - Lyrics

maithrim bhajata

raagam: yamunaa kalyaaNi

65 mEcakalyaaNi janya Aa: S R2 G3 P M2 P D2 S Av: S D2 P M2 P G3 R2 S

AND

kaapi

22 kharaharapriya janya Aa: S R2 M1 P N3 S Av: S N2 D2 N2 P M1 G2 R2 S

taaLam: aadi Composer: H.H. CandrasEkhara Saraswati Language: Sanskrit

maitrIm bhajata, akhila hrit jaitrIm | Atmavad Eva parAnn api pashyata | yudhham tyajata, spardhAm tyajata | tyajata parEShu akrama-AkramaNam ||

jananI prithivI kAma-dukhArtE | janako dEvah sakala dayALuh | 'dAmyata, datta, dayadhvam' janatA | shrEyO bhUyAt sakala janAnAnAm || shrEyO bhUyAt sakala janAnAnAm || shrEyO bhUyAt sakala janAnAnAm ||

Meaning: Here the poet has used 'dAmyata, datta, dayadhvam' phrase in the last stanza, very significantly. There is a story and scope for wide ranging interpretation on it.

The story occurs in Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad (and some other places). In Br Ar Upanishad 5.2.2, it runs like this: Long back, there were three kinds of children (sons) for Prajapati, the Creator. In olden days father himself would be the teacher for most of their kids, to start with. After their studies under him all these three groups of children approached Prajapati and asked him for a sort of final sermon-like-teaching before they say good-bye!

Sanskrit & (English) format now: devA Uchuh "bravItu no bhavAn" - iti | (Gods said to him: "Please teach us") tEbhyo ha etad akSharam uvAcha 'da' iti | (He said to them, the single syllable 'da.) vyjNAsiShTA - iti | ( 'Did you understand?' - (he asked them)) 'vyajNAsiShma' iti ha Uchuh | ("(Yes), we have understood" - they told (him)) "dAmyata iti na Attha"- iti | ("(What) you said (to us is) 'Control yourselves (dAmyata')") "Om" - iti ha uvAcha, vyajNasiShTA iti | "That is OK", he said, "you have understood (it)!"

Then, the men approached him and asked, "Please teach us, father!" He told them also the same single syllable 'da', and asked them too, "Did you understand what I told you?" They, the men told, "Yep, we have. You told us to 'be charitable' ('datta'), isn't it?" "That is OK", he said, "you have got it!"

Next was the turn of the demons. When they too approached their father and asked him, "Please teach us", he told them also the same single syllable 'da'. "Have you understood it?", he asked them. They said, "Ya, we have. You told us to 'be merciful ('dayadhwam'); isn't it?" "That's OK", he said, "you have grasped it!"

Then, at that instant, a heavenly voice is heard thundering" "da, da, da; dAmyata, datta, dayadhwam !" That is why one should learn this triad, triple axioms: self-control('damam'), charity('dAnam') and mercy('dayA')!

In the above story, even though the author has used the terms as gods ('dEvAh'), men ('manuShyAh') and demons ('asurAh'), they may also be construed as the good men in respectable positions, common men and aggressive men in power with evil potentials - respectively. Every one may have more than one, even triple personalities, depending on several factors such as circumstance, interaction etc. Hence, the basic instruction is to observe all the three "da's" meant for all the disciplines.

The above was adapted from S.K. Harihareshwara